The Emerald Duets

Starting in 2021, Finlands TUM Records commemorated Wadada Leo Smiths 80th birthday with five thematically curated box sets, of which The Emerald Duets is the last. Its five discs place the trumpeter in settings with four drummers -- Pheeroan akLaff, Andrew Cyrille, Han Bennink, and on two discs, Jack DeJohnette. It is handsomely packaged and illustrated with liner essays by Smith and Vijay Iyer, and includes photos and full biographies. Disc one, titled "Litanies, Prayers and Meditations," showcases akLaff. Opener "The Prayer (For Keith Jarrett)" offers Smiths innate lyricism framing a hymn-like folk song with akLaff assenting and dancing behind him. On the tender "First Meditation from the Heart, The Beauty, The Beloved," Smith plays piano and trumpet. The ivories soft tones in the first half contrast with more exploratory lyricism on the latter. Other tracks include the inquisitive suite "Rumis Masnavi: A Sonic Expression" and "The Patriot Act, Unconstitutional and a Force That Destroys Democracy" (there are three versions including ones with Cyrille and DeJohnette). The second disc, "Havana, Cuba," features Cyrille -- who led a trio with Smith and Bill Frisell on 2018s Lebroba. It kicks off with the best version of "The Patriot Act..." followed by the deeply spiritual "Havana, The Maghrib Prayer and Reflections" and the sprightly "United States Representative Ilhan Omar." These pieces showcase Cyrilles sense of polyrhythmic invention as he predicts then underscores each of Smiths deeply felt emotional lines, furious note smatters, and tonal blurs. It also contains the haunting "Haiti, An Independent Nation in 1804 But Not Recognized by Britain, France, Germany, The United States and Others: A Designed Tragedy!" and sumptuous tunes dedicated to the memories of trumpeters Tomasz Stanko, Donald Ayler, and Mongezi Feza, and vocalist Jeanne Lee. On disc three, "Mysterious Sonic Fields," Smith teams with Dutch drummer Bennink. They have played together occasionally since the early 70s. It is composed of shorter, resonant pieces dedicated to jazz musicians, Civil Rights workers, and scientists. The beautifully abstracted "Louis Armstrong in New York City and Accra" is a highlight as elongated horn tones find utterance amid muted tom-tom and kick drum washes before Smith quotes extensively from solos by the New Orleans master. DeJohnette appears on the latter two discs. Of particular interest are the title track from "Freedom Summer, The Legacy" on which he plays piano and drums with Smiths piano and trumpet, and the lilting "Meditation: A Sonic Circle of Double Piano Resonances" featuring acoustic and Fender Rhodes pianos. Disc five, titled "Paradise: The Gardens and Fountains," comprises a single five-part, genuinely lyrical, sometimes grooving, and often impressionistic 36-minute suite also titled "Paradise: The Gardens and Fountains." DeJohnette, playing only drums, runs through a vocabulary of poignant blues shuffles, angular feints, funky vamps, and inquisitive fills (check "The Supreme Fountain") to challenge Smith. While all of these boxes are indispensable for vanguard jazz fans, The Emerald Duets in particular is perhaps the most engaging due to the intimate emotional and creative connections Smith shares with these brilliant drummers. ~ Thom Jurek